About the campaign
Help Us Care for Our Sacred Grounds: Support Our Tractor Fundraiser
Our Mission: Enhancing Cemetery Care with Essential Equipment
At St. John's Cemetery, we're dedicated to maintaining the dignity and beauty of our final resting place. Our commitment goes beyond words — it's about action, care, and respect. Today, we're reaching out for your support in a critical mission: raising funds for a new Bobcat sub-compact tractor.
Why a Tractor? More Than Just a Machine
This just isn't any tractor; it's a key to improving our cemetery and efficiency in countless ways.
General Tasks
With the 60" front bucket, we can efficiently move dirt, back-fill graves, clear snow, and safely relocate grave stones when necessary.
Mowing
Our cemetery spans 26 acres and is the final resting place for 8801 people. The most significant aspect of our maintenance is lawn care. You might wonder why we don't simply outsource this task to a mowing or landscaping service. The answer is twofold. Firstly, the cost of contracting such services is substantial, exceeding $9,000 monthly. This high expense is largely due to the labor-intensive process of trimming and mowing around approximately 6,000 headstones.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, our experience has shown that external mowing teams often prioritize speed over care. This approach can unfortunately lead to inadvertent damage to the gravestones, as the focus is more on efficiency rather than meticulousness and respect for the site. By managing these tasks in-house, we ensure that each headstone and grave site is treated with the utmost care and respect it deserves, maintaining the dignity of our sacred space.
Currently we have a zero-turn Skag mower wich has been our mowing workhorse and a John Deere x540 garden tractor that is ready for its own grave.
With the Bobcat tractors 60" mid mower deck we will be able to improve our mowing efficiency, allowing us to maintain the lawns with greater ease and replacing an older, financially burdensome garden tractor that will not last another mowing season.
The Future: Growing Our Capabilities
Your generous donations won't just help us purchase this versatile tractor; they're an investment in the future of our cemetery. We plan to acquire attachments like a snow blower and an auger for drilling cremation graves, expanding our capabilities and ensuring the highest standards of care.
A Call to Action: Be a Part of Our Journey
Every donation, big or small, brings us closer to our goal. By contributing to our tractor fund, you're not just donating to a cause; you're honoring memories, respecting history, and helping us serve our community more effectively.
Enhanced Care: Efficiently manage cemetery upkeep, demonstrating respect and honor for those who rest here.
Financial Responsibility: Replace an outdated, costly machine, ensuring more funds are available for other vital cemetery needs.
Community Impact: Join hands with us in a tangible effort to beautify and preserve our shared sacred space.
A Special Thank You for Major Donors
As a token of our deep gratitude, we offer a special acknowledgment for our most generous supporters. For any donation of $5,000 or more, we are honored to provide two complimentary burial plots. This gesture is our way of expressing appreciation for your substantial contribution to the preservation and care of St. John's Cemetery. Your generosity at this level not only significantly impacts our ability to maintain these sacred grounds but also connects you and your loved ones to the history and future of this special place.
Thank You for Your Support
Your support means everything to us. It's not just about reaching a financial goal; it's about coming together as a community to cherish and preserve the sanctity of our final resting place.
Together, let's make St. John's Cemetery a place of peace, beauty, and dignity for generations to come.
